Arsenal hero Per Mertesacker admits when he joined the club, he was a panic buy.
Mertesacker arrived on deadline day in 2011 after the team had been humiliated by Manchester United 8-2 in the Premier League.
Then manager Arsene Wenger spent on several players to steady the ship and keep the team in the top four race.
He told Arsenal's Lockdown Podcast: "I consider myself to be a panic buy. I've got no problems with that whatsoever because sometimes these times are rushed.
"Football is rushed, especially when the transfer window is about to close. At that time Arsenal had two or three days to make adjustments to the squad. To join an English team, my favourite English team, and to join the Premier League was something I couldn't turn down.
"I was with the German national team during those last three days and I had to ask Joachim Low if I could go to London and have a quick medical. In my medical, I met [Andre] Santos, I became familiar with [Yossi] Benayoun, [Mikel] Arteta and Park [Chu-young] very quickly.
"It had to be messy, it had to be rushed. I didn't care. I was just happy that Arsene Wenger called me and spoke to me in German. I couldn't really believe it.
"It was so unreal those three days, as I said. To turn down an opportunity like Arsenal Football Club? I would always do it again, in the same format, in the same rush, in the same manner."
